Shut Up And Sing

What is it with these performers and their politics? Do they really think that people who pay $100 or more to hear them sing want to hear them utter political opinions? The audience pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to see and hear a performer PERFORM. You want to spout politics, run for freakin office, you moron! When performers use a paid venue to play politics they are abusing the paying audience, the venue, the sponsors and everyone connected to their artistic performance. It's an inappropriate venue and inapproprite behavior to voice your political viewpoint, you jerk! And they wonder why people boo.

Somebody pays a small fortune for their ticket to see them perform and ends up being subjected to a political opinion from someone who makes millions of dollars a year but doesn't have a real job, doesn't have to live in reality and doesn't have a clue about the real world! Yeah, right, tell me about your political views while I'm sitting here waiting to be entertained by you. That's why I came here and that's what I paid for isn't it, you ungrateful clueless idiot. You want to spout off, do it for free. Yes, free. Why don't you perform for free then you can say anything you want to your audience. Then it's fair and balanced. Then the audience gets what it pays for.

And what about the incident in Orange County, CA where the performer makes a comment about Linda Ronstadt and audience starts booing and the performer responds with how America used to be a place where you could openly discuss your views. Ha! Twenty thousand people and he's the only one with a microphone! Open discussion, my ass.

So, a word to the wise. You want to keep performing, keep making millions, keep living in your fantasy world? Shut up and sing.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Facts About Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother

Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother from the maternal side , got married at the age of 14. She got six children from 3 different marriages. She first married Bob Nelson. She gave birth to her daughter Debbie in 1955.She accuses her first husband, Bob Nelson, of being verbally abusive. Both moved to Warren, Michigan, to be closer to Betty's stepmother .Despite the problems the couple experienced, she gave Bob two more sons, Todd and Steven.They divorced in the early 60's and Betty came back to her hometown St Joseph, where she met Ron Gilpin, her second husband.She had two more children with him. One of them is Betti Schmitt (Eminem's aunt and Debbie's half sister), who is still in touch and in good terms with Eminem. Ron Gilpin was an alcoholic who used to beat up his whole family. Violence was part of their daily life. Ron left his family in 1968.Dramas surrounded Betty's family. In 1991, Todd Nelson killed his brother-in-law, Mike Harris in self defense case. He was sentenced to jail for 8 years.Betty 's sixth child from a third marriage, Ronnie Polkingharn, was Eminem's uncle and closest friend. He committed suicide in 1991.

Eminem grew up for a while at his grandmom's home. She talks about his harsh conditions of living in Detroit :

« It was a poor school and they wanted his shoes. He was one of the only white children going to this segregated school. And one time they took the shoes off his feet and he had to come home in a snowstorm with no shoes on. But the story people keep asking me - "he was unconscious and almost died and all these doctors...", now I know nothing about this and I'm his grandmother. »

People should think twice before calling Marshall a racist.

Betty was angry with Marshall because he never attended to Ronnie's funeral. In fact, Marshall went depressive and swallowed a bottle of Tylenol and survived to another suicide attempt. He was unable to go to Ronnie's funeral, his pain was too immense.But Betty didn't know what happened during this period.

"I was kind of bitter about him writing about my dead son, because the last five years of my deceased boy, Marshall had not even seen him. Marshall - Eminem - and my son Ronnie were very close. He idolised Ronnie and Ronnie loved him. He never even came to Ronnie's funeral and he has never put the first flower on Ronnie's grave. He doesn't do anything - he won't go near the grave. The chain that Marshall wears around his neck, the dog-tag - that was Ronnie's. I gave him the dog-tag, he makes duplicates, he sells them now, and that really broke my heart because this is something sacred to me that I gave the boy. If my son could speak to you today from the grave he would say, "Marshall stop some of the garbage, make up with your family, life's too short"."

Marshall had a good relationship to his granny until he wanted to use Ronnie's voice on a tape. He intended to do this as a tribute to his deceased uncle, but Betty thought he was disrespectful towards her son. In 2002 , both reconciled.

Betty Kresin is currently writing a book on her grandson which shall be entitled « The Tie That Binds ».

Betty says she's proud of her grandson and that she stands on his side.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Facts About Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother

Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother from the maternal side , got married at the age of 14. She got six children from 3 different marriages. She first married Bob Nelson. She gave birth to her daughter Debbie in 1955.She accuses her first husband, Bob Nelson, of being verbally abusive. Both moved to Warren, Michigan, to be closer to Betty's stepmother .Despite the problems the couple experienced, she gave Bob two more sons, Todd and Steven.They divorced in the early 60's and Betty came back to her hometown St Joseph, where she met Ron Gilpin, her second husband.She had two more children with him. One of them is Betti Schmitt (Eminem's aunt and Debbie's half sister), who is still in touch and in good terms with Eminem. Ron Gilpin was an alcoholic who used to beat up his whole family. Violence was part of their daily life. Ron left his family in 1968.Dramas surrounded Betty's family. In 1991, Todd Nelson killed his brother-in-law, Mike Harris in self defense case. He was sentenced to jail for 8 years.Betty 's sixth child from a third marriage, Ronnie Polkingharn, was Eminem's uncle and closest friend. He committed suicide in 1991.

Eminem grew up for a while at his grandmom's home. She talks about his harsh conditions of living in Detroit :

« It was a poor school and they wanted his shoes. He was one of the only white children going to this segregated school. And one time they took the shoes off his feet and he had to come home in a snowstorm with no shoes on. But the story people keep asking me - "he was unconscious and almost died and all these doctors...", now I know nothing about this and I'm his grandmother. »

People should think twice before calling Marshall a racist.

Betty was angry with Marshall because he never attended to Ronnie's funeral. In fact, Marshall went depressive and swallowed a bottle of Tylenol and survived to another suicide attempt. He was unable to go to Ronnie's funeral, his pain was too immense.But Betty didn't know what happened during this period.

"I was kind of bitter about him writing about my dead son, because the last five years of my deceased boy, Marshall had not even seen him. Marshall - Eminem - and my son Ronnie were very close. He idolised Ronnie and Ronnie loved him. He never even came to Ronnie's funeral and he has never put the first flower on Ronnie's grave. He doesn't do anything - he won't go near the grave. The chain that Marshall wears around his neck, the dog-tag - that was Ronnie's. I gave him the dog-tag, he makes duplicates, he sells them now, and that really broke my heart because this is something sacred to me that I gave the boy. If my son could speak to you today from the grave he would say, "Marshall stop some of the garbage, make up with your family, life's too short"."

Marshall had a good relationship to his granny until he wanted to use Ronnie's voice on a tape. He intended to do this as a tribute to his deceased uncle, but Betty thought he was disrespectful towards her son. In 2002 , both reconciled.

Betty Kresin is currently writing a book on her grandson which shall be entitled « The Tie That Binds ».

Betty says she's proud of her grandson and that she stands on his side.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Motorhead "Inferno"

When David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame release the sensational CD "Probot" this year it rekindled my metal tastebuds. For those of you not familiar with his project I'll explain. He recorded songs on which he played all instruments and he had guest vocalists come in and sing as well as write the lyrics and play whatever instrument they might also play. The cd features vocalists such as King Diamond, Snake from Voivod, and many other great singers/musicians. The whole cd flows like it was a gift from God or at least the Heavy Metal God. On that cd Lemmy from Motorhead does a fantastic job on the tune "Shake Your Blood". On first listen I was excited to hear Lemmy singing on such a awesome tune and the excitement was enough for me to do some Google searching and that is where I found out that the boys were back and had a new CD released on the indie label Sanctuary entitled "Inferno". Like Monster Magnet, being on an indie has enhanced their sound big time!

Always a rough and tough rocking band, Motorhead has never rocked like they do on this CD. What's amazing is how great Lemmy's vocals sound. I have loved the band since their beginning and my fondness for Lemmy dates back to his Hawkwind days. I have to say I have enjoyed Motorhead whenever I've bought a cd and listened. But NEVER have I been entrapped into their sound like I am today.

The opening song, "Terminal Show", features Steve Vai on guitar. I have to admit even though I'm a guitarist I respect Steve Vai but I just can't get into the instrumental cds he's released. Actually, I dig them I just don't find myself playing them very often. But Steve takes hold of "Terminal Show" and sounds like he's in the band. He refrains from overplaying his part and he fits Motorhead like a glove. Philip Campbell, Motorhead's guitarist, allows Steve Vai to play with no conflicts and it's sweet as honey! But Philip Campbell then goes on to play lead on all the rest of the tunes like a banshee in heat except the end of "Down On Me" on which Steve Vai returns. What's cool about this is the fact that the two tunes on which Steve Vai plays guitar are not necessarily the best on the cd. It's a seemless collection of tunes that will rock the toughest crowd. I can only imagine how great they sound live and I can't wait to catch them on their current tour.

Mikkey Dee returns on drums and this cat pounds the hell out of them. Lemmy attacks the bass like a maniac and his vocals are his best to date. The cd never gets politcal but it does paint a dim look at life in these troubled times. It's really kind of creepy how convincing Lemmy sounds on the tune "Killers". Obviously the dude is fascinated with murder because he sings three tunes about the topic. I'm glad he's got his bass and band to keep him busy!!!!

I know I claimed Monster Magnet have the best cd this year but I have to say that Motorhead are coming in with a tie at least! "Inferno" is a must buy cd for any hard rock fan. From start to finish the album soars past and demands repeated plays. I am sure that Motorhead's old fans will freak out over this cd and also they've created a cd that will hopefully get them some new young fans. Visit their site at http://www.imotorhead.com Buy this CD!

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Facts about MC Big Proof

“If I was you, suicide would be a way of life. If you was me , you’d kill you.” (Proof)

Before I start talking about D12’s gifted Mc Proof, I would like to thank and to give credit to the webmaster of the following Derty Harry website for the rare info I found about Deshaun Holton aka Derty Harry aka Proof:

[http://angelfire.com/bxc3/dertyharry/main_bio.html]Deshaun Holton aka Proof was born on October the 2nd 1975 in Detroit. Although they didn’t attend the same High School, Eminem and Proof have been friends since 1988. They used to live in the same street in Detroit. Proof used to go to Osbourne High school while Eminem was attending Lincoln High. Both friends used to skip high school in order to rap together: in fact Eminem skipped Lincoln High and used to come to Proof’s school very often, because both friends wanted to rap together. This is how they met:

“I was skipping school, and he was skipping school also, passing out flyers for his concert he was having in Centerline. That had to be, like, '88 or something.” (Proof)

Some (white) underground Mcs from Detroit like Backstab the Kingpin are convinced of Proof’s racism. But Deshaun’s statements seem to prove the contrary.

CDNow has asked Proof how he felt about Eminem’s skin color at the time they met:

CDNow: Did you wonder what this blond, white kid was up to?

Proof: “You know, I went to Catholic school and had a great, great friend of mine who happened to be Irish; we were best friends since the sixth grade. So when I saw [Eminem] was white, I didn't even jump off like that; when he rapped, he was dope. What made us get dope and become great friends was we both rhymed "first place" and "birthday," and we've been tight ever since [laughs].”

Eminem and Proof have been real friends since the beginning. When Eminem was kicked out of his home, he would sleep at Proof’s house. It is well known that Proof is an amazing freestyler.He won the freestyling competition in the Source magazine in 1999. He his a better freestyler than Marshall, but Marshall’s force is in the way he handles his words in his lyrics. That’s exactly what Proof states about their complementary talent:

“We were both impressed with each other. The advantage I've got over Em is freestyling; I'm the kind of guy who freestyles off the head, right? The advantage he had over me was that he knew how to write intricately; he knew how to put a song together and bring feelings about. That's why I journeyed under him, like, "Yo, show me the ropes, homeboy."

The idea of the D12 group composed of talented MCs and sick aliases with popped into Proof’s mind:

"I was in New York; I had this deal with Tommy Boy that didn't work out, unfortunately. But I just had this idea that we could put together a team of dope MCs, put a lot of Detroit on as far as having MCs with skills. Everybody's solo took so we'll make aliases, like Eminem's Slim Shady and I'm Derty Harry, and call it the Dirty Dozen -- and at this time, to be honest with you, we thought The Dirty Dozen was a Western movie; we didn't know it was an army movie [laughs]. That fits us, army rather than Western, 'cause we see ourselves more as gun-slingers, lyric-slingers. Then the idea was to form a pact whereas this team, whoever gets out first comes back and gets the rest of the group."

Proof has always been confident in Eminem’s loyalty, even if some other members of the group may have been worried:

“Not me; I've been there since day one, almost. I think the rest of the group may not have been there, but Proof has been beside Eminem all this time. I play a leadership role in the group, where I talk to everyone else; Em is like the president, and I'm the general. I talk to the rest of the fellas and put 'em in line and show 'em the direction. It's a family, too, so there'll be a lot of fighting and bickering, and some people might have felt it might not be the way it should be. So, yes, there were times when people felt funny about things. But now everybody thinks back to that, and we were tripping out over nothing.”

Acccording to Proof, Eminem’s success was the best thing that could have happened to D12:

“Right. Some people look at us like, "You're gonna be Eminem's group. You're gonna be in his shadow." They don't realize how positive and great that is to hear; if you're in the shadow of a guy who can sell almost 10 million records in just the states alone, great. That's not a dis to us. But when they hear the album, they hear the individuality of each person, how everybody holds their own.”

It is so true that each D12 emcee has his own talent and ability to rap.

It is less known that Proof’s first stage name was “Maximum”. Proof has always been appreciated in Detroit for his raps and his freestyling qualities. He changed his nickname when people started calling him “Living Proof”, because in many people’s minds, Proof was the “living proof of the living MCs in Detroit".

Proof has collaborated and still collaborates with numerous artists such as Dogmatic. Proof’s first released Cd was called “From Death” and was co-produced with Da Goon Squad.

He has released a CD called “Promatic” with Dogmatic and a six Track solo EP called “The Search For Jerry Garcia”. As well as for Eminem, Detroit has been very influential to Proof who describes his hometown as “the type of place where eye contact can get you killed” and also as “ a city where the sun never shines, full of pot holes, snow and con artists ready to jack everything you got”.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Motorhead "Inferno"

When David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame release the sensational CD "Probot" this year it rekindled my metal tastebuds. For those of you not familiar with his project I'll explain. He recorded songs on which he played all instruments and he had guest vocalists come in and sing as well as write the lyrics and play whatever instrument they might also play. The cd features vocalists such as King Diamond, Snake from Voivod, and many other great singers/musicians. The whole cd flows like it was a gift from God or at least the Heavy Metal God. On that cd Lemmy from Motorhead does a fantastic job on the tune "Shake Your Blood". On first listen I was excited to hear Lemmy singing on such a awesome tune and the excitement was enough for me to do some Google searching and that is where I found out that the boys were back and had a new CD released on the indie label Sanctuary entitled "Inferno". Like Monster Magnet, being on an indie has enhanced their sound big time!

Always a rough and tough rocking band, Motorhead has never rocked like they do on this CD. What's amazing is how great Lemmy's vocals sound. I have loved the band since their beginning and my fondness for Lemmy dates back to his Hawkwind days. I have to say I have enjoyed Motorhead whenever I've bought a cd and listened. But NEVER have I been entrapped into their sound like I am today.

The opening song, "Terminal Show", features Steve Vai on guitar. I have to admit even though I'm a guitarist I respect Steve Vai but I just can't get into the instrumental cds he's released. Actually, I dig them I just don't find myself playing them very often. But Steve takes hold of "Terminal Show" and sounds like he's in the band. He refrains from overplaying his part and he fits Motorhead like a glove. Philip Campbell, Motorhead's guitarist, allows Steve Vai to play with no conflicts and it's sweet as honey! But Philip Campbell then goes on to play lead on all the rest of the tunes like a banshee in heat except the end of "Down On Me" on which Steve Vai returns. What's cool about this is the fact that the two tunes on which Steve Vai plays guitar are not necessarily the best on the cd. It's a seemless collection of tunes that will rock the toughest crowd. I can only imagine how great they sound live and I can't wait to catch them on their current tour.

Mikkey Dee returns on drums and this cat pounds the hell out of them. Lemmy attacks the bass like a maniac and his vocals are his best to date. The cd never gets politcal but it does paint a dim look at life in these troubled times. It's really kind of creepy how convincing Lemmy sounds on the tune "Killers". Obviously the dude is fascinated with murder because he sings three tunes about the topic. I'm glad he's got his bass and band to keep him busy!!!!

I know I claimed Monster Magnet have the best cd this year but I have to say that Motorhead are coming in with a tie at least! "Inferno" is a must buy cd for any hard rock fan. From start to finish the album soars past and demands repeated plays. I am sure that Motorhead's old fans will freak out over this cd and also they've created a cd that will hopefully get them some new young fans. Visit their site at http://www.imotorhead.com Buy this CD!

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression

Ann Powers said:

"Don't censor the music and artistic expression."

Eminem's music, in particular the songs "Kim" and "Stan," is a continuation of a tradition in music and American art in general: the Gothic murder ballad, which has been with us ever since the blues or Appalachian folk music. "Stan" is just like an Edgar Allan Poe tale, if you think about it. Johnny Cash shot a man just to watch him die. This is something that's had a very solid, longstanding role in culture.

Self-styled moralists are getting up in arms about something that has always been part of the literature of development. If you're a kid, you have to learn about violence, about hate, about death, about fear. That's part of becoming an adult. And if it's not fed to you by Eminem, you're going to get it from your own nightmares. The illusion that kids need to be protected from that is connected to a kind of fetishizing of innocence, which is unrealistic." Ann Powers

Music critic, the New York Times

We live in a society where we are taught to hide our true feelings and emotions. When I look back at the way I have been educated at school and and home, I now know how hypocritical it was. Teachers and parents tried to hide some reality.We were pictured a safe world with nice people. Religion ( particularly the way it was taught) increased that wrong impression.

Eminem's work appears to be progressive for conservative people. But the same conservative people would also have rejected Baudelaire or any other controversial poet or writer centuries before. Conservatism is a form of intolerance in general.

I have felt insecure a great part of my life and I didn't know how to act the right way with people, being too much afraid to speak my mind.

There is something I will probably never get: why are references to suicide so taboo in people's mind? Many people also blamed Goethe for his work "Die Leiden des Jungen Werthers" ("The Sorrows of Young Werther") because a lot of young people committed suicide after reading his book. Not Goethe is to blame, but rather those young people's decision...but do we really need somebody to blame? Anybody has the right to end his life if he feels like his pain is unbearable. My cousin committed suicicide when I was 15. I was shocked, but I don't judge her for that. It was her decision to stop her immense sorrow.

MTV also censors notions that have to do with suicide.

The "Tatu" video "Not Gonna Get Us" was considered as shocking and would be censored not because it pictured two lesbian girls, but because they seem to commit suicide at the end of the video. I was very surprised to discover that the word "die" in the sentence "I'm so sick and tired of bein admired/ that I wish that I would just die or get fired » from Eminem's song « The Way I Am ». How is that possible ? How could MTV censor a word like « die » as if death didn't belong to our every day reality ?

They allow sentences such as « People killin', people dyin'/Children hurt and you hear them cryin'» from sugar sweet songs such as « Where is the love ? » from Black Eyed Peas and they dare censoring « die » in « The Way I Am » video ? How far should we push hypocrisy ?

So many writers and poets such as François Villon in the 15th century in France have been considered as shocking for their use of vulgar language. Many people want to do as if vulgar and popular language didn't exist (I'm sure the same people use it in their privacy as well). Popular and vulgar words are part of our culture too, there is no reason to ignore it.

Why should we censor notions such as suicide, murder and death that are present in the music when our kids already play violent games on their PlayStation and watch "Hannibal" and "Scary Movie" on TV? A little bit of violence helps kids to get rid of their own aggressively and shouldn't be viewed as necessarily dangerous and negative.

The best way to protect our kids is not to hide reality. The closer they are to reality, the better they are armed to face real battles in life.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Facts About Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother

Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother from the maternal side , got married at the age of 14. She got six children from 3 different marriages. She first married Bob Nelson. She gave birth to her daughter Debbie in 1955.She accuses her first husband, Bob Nelson, of being verbally abusive. Both moved to Warren, Michigan, to be closer to Betty's stepmother .Despite the problems the couple experienced, she gave Bob two more sons, Todd and Steven.They divorced in the early 60's and Betty came back to her hometown St Joseph, where she met Ron Gilpin, her second husband.She had two more children with him. One of them is Betti Schmitt (Eminem's aunt and Debbie's half sister), who is still in touch and in good terms with Eminem. Ron Gilpin was an alcoholic who used to beat up his whole family. Violence was part of their daily life. Ron left his family in 1968.Dramas surrounded Betty's family. In 1991, Todd Nelson killed his brother-in-law, Mike Harris in self defense case. He was sentenced to jail for 8 years.Betty 's sixth child from a third marriage, Ronnie Polkingharn, was Eminem's uncle and closest friend. He committed suicide in 1991.

Eminem grew up for a while at his grandmom's home. She talks about his harsh conditions of living in Detroit :

« It was a poor school and they wanted his shoes. He was one of the only white children going to this segregated school. And one time they took the shoes off his feet and he had to come home in a snowstorm with no shoes on. But the story people keep asking me - "he was unconscious and almost died and all these doctors...", now I know nothing about this and I'm his grandmother. »

People should think twice before calling Marshall a racist.

Betty was angry with Marshall because he never attended to Ronnie's funeral. In fact, Marshall went depressive and swallowed a bottle of Tylenol and survived to another suicide attempt. He was unable to go to Ronnie's funeral, his pain was too immense.But Betty didn't know what happened during this period.

"I was kind of bitter about him writing about my dead son, because the last five years of my deceased boy, Marshall had not even seen him. Marshall - Eminem - and my son Ronnie were very close. He idolised Ronnie and Ronnie loved him. He never even came to Ronnie's funeral and he has never put the first flower on Ronnie's grave. He doesn't do anything - he won't go near the grave. The chain that Marshall wears around his neck, the dog-tag - that was Ronnie's. I gave him the dog-tag, he makes duplicates, he sells them now, and that really broke my heart because this is something sacred to me that I gave the boy. If my son could speak to you today from the grave he would say, "Marshall stop some of the garbage, make up with your family, life's too short"."

Marshall had a good relationship to his granny until he wanted to use Ronnie's voice on a tape. He intended to do this as a tribute to his deceased uncle, but Betty thought he was disrespectful towards her son. In 2002 , both reconciled.

Betty Kresin is currently writing a book on her grandson which shall be entitled « The Tie That Binds ».

Betty says she's proud of her grandson and that she stands on his side.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Facts About Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother

Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother from the maternal side , got married at the age of 14. She got six children from 3 different marriages. She first married Bob Nelson. She gave birth to her daughter Debbie in 1955.She accuses her first husband, Bob Nelson, of being verbally abusive. Both moved to Warren, Michigan, to be closer to Betty's stepmother .Despite the problems the couple experienced, she gave Bob two more sons, Todd and Steven.They divorced in the early 60's and Betty came back to her hometown St Joseph, where she met Ron Gilpin, her second husband.She had two more children with him. One of them is Betti Schmitt (Eminem's aunt and Debbie's half sister), who is still in touch and in good terms with Eminem. Ron Gilpin was an alcoholic who used to beat up his whole family. Violence was part of their daily life. Ron left his family in 1968.Dramas surrounded Betty's family. In 1991, Todd Nelson killed his brother-in-law, Mike Harris in self defense case. He was sentenced to jail for 8 years.Betty 's sixth child from a third marriage, Ronnie Polkingharn, was Eminem's uncle and closest friend. He committed suicide in 1991.

Eminem grew up for a while at his grandmom's home. She talks about his harsh conditions of living in Detroit :

« It was a poor school and they wanted his shoes. He was one of the only white children going to this segregated school. And one time they took the shoes off his feet and he had to come home in a snowstorm with no shoes on. But the story people keep asking me - "he was unconscious and almost died and all these doctors...", now I know nothing about this and I'm his grandmother. »

People should think twice before calling Marshall a racist.

Betty was angry with Marshall because he never attended to Ronnie's funeral. In fact, Marshall went depressive and swallowed a bottle of Tylenol and survived to another suicide attempt. He was unable to go to Ronnie's funeral, his pain was too immense.But Betty didn't know what happened during this period.

"I was kind of bitter about him writing about my dead son, because the last five years of my deceased boy, Marshall had not even seen him. Marshall - Eminem - and my son Ronnie were very close. He idolised Ronnie and Ronnie loved him. He never even came to Ronnie's funeral and he has never put the first flower on Ronnie's grave. He doesn't do anything - he won't go near the grave. The chain that Marshall wears around his neck, the dog-tag - that was Ronnie's. I gave him the dog-tag, he makes duplicates, he sells them now, and that really broke my heart because this is something sacred to me that I gave the boy. If my son could speak to you today from the grave he would say, "Marshall stop some of the garbage, make up with your family, life's too short"."

Marshall had a good relationship to his granny until he wanted to use Ronnie's voice on a tape. He intended to do this as a tribute to his deceased uncle, but Betty thought he was disrespectful towards her son. In 2002 , both reconciled.

Betty Kresin is currently writing a book on her grandson which shall be entitled « The Tie That Binds ».

Betty says she's proud of her grandson and that she stands on his side.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Facts About Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother

Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother from the maternal side , got married at the age of 14. She got six children from 3 different marriages. She first married Bob Nelson. She gave birth to her daughter Debbie in 1955.She accuses her first husband, Bob Nelson, of being verbally abusive. Both moved to Warren, Michigan, to be closer to Betty's stepmother .Despite the problems the couple experienced, she gave Bob two more sons, Todd and Steven.They divorced in the early 60's and Betty came back to her hometown St Joseph, where she met Ron Gilpin, her second husband.She had two more children with him. One of them is Betti Schmitt (Eminem's aunt and Debbie's half sister), who is still in touch and in good terms with Eminem. Ron Gilpin was an alcoholic who used to beat up his whole family. Violence was part of their daily life. Ron left his family in 1968.Dramas surrounded Betty's family. In 1991, Todd Nelson killed his brother-in-law, Mike Harris in self defense case. He was sentenced to jail for 8 years.Betty 's sixth child from a third marriage, Ronnie Polkingharn, was Eminem's uncle and closest friend. He committed suicide in 1991.

Eminem grew up for a while at his grandmom's home. She talks about his harsh conditions of living in Detroit :

« It was a poor school and they wanted his shoes. He was one of the only white children going to this segregated school. And one time they took the shoes off his feet and he had to come home in a snowstorm with no shoes on. But the story people keep asking me - "he was unconscious and almost died and all these doctors...", now I know nothing about this and I'm his grandmother. »

People should think twice before calling Marshall a racist.

Betty was angry with Marshall because he never attended to Ronnie's funeral. In fact, Marshall went depressive and swallowed a bottle of Tylenol and survived to another suicide attempt. He was unable to go to Ronnie's funeral, his pain was too immense.But Betty didn't know what happened during this period.

"I was kind of bitter about him writing about my dead son, because the last five years of my deceased boy, Marshall had not even seen him. Marshall - Eminem - and my son Ronnie were very close. He idolised Ronnie and Ronnie loved him. He never even came to Ronnie's funeral and he has never put the first flower on Ronnie's grave. He doesn't do anything - he won't go near the grave. The chain that Marshall wears around his neck, the dog-tag - that was Ronnie's. I gave him the dog-tag, he makes duplicates, he sells them now, and that really broke my heart because this is something sacred to me that I gave the boy. If my son could speak to you today from the grave he would say, "Marshall stop some of the garbage, make up with your family, life's too short"."

Marshall had a good relationship to his granny until he wanted to use Ronnie's voice on a tape. He intended to do this as a tribute to his deceased uncle, but Betty thought he was disrespectful towards her son. In 2002 , both reconciled.

Betty Kresin is currently writing a book on her grandson which shall be entitled « The Tie That Binds ».

Betty says she's proud of her grandson and that she stands on his side.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Motorhead "Inferno"

When David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame release the sensational CD "Probot" this year it rekindled my metal tastebuds. For those of you not familiar with his project I'll explain. He recorded songs on which he played all instruments and he had guest vocalists come in and sing as well as write the lyrics and play whatever instrument they might also play. The cd features vocalists such as King Diamond, Snake from Voivod, and many other great singers/musicians. The whole cd flows like it was a gift from God or at least the Heavy Metal God. On that cd Lemmy from Motorhead does a fantastic job on the tune "Shake Your Blood". On first listen I was excited to hear Lemmy singing on such a awesome tune and the excitement was enough for me to do some Google searching and that is where I found out that the boys were back and had a new CD released on the indie label Sanctuary entitled "Inferno". Like Monster Magnet, being on an indie has enhanced their sound big time!

Always a rough and tough rocking band, Motorhead has never rocked like they do on this CD. What's amazing is how great Lemmy's vocals sound. I have loved the band since their beginning and my fondness for Lemmy dates back to his Hawkwind days. I have to say I have enjoyed Motorhead whenever I've bought a cd and listened. But NEVER have I been entrapped into their sound like I am today.

The opening song, "Terminal Show", features Steve Vai on guitar. I have to admit even though I'm a guitarist I respect Steve Vai but I just can't get into the instrumental cds he's released. Actually, I dig them I just don't find myself playing them very often. But Steve takes hold of "Terminal Show" and sounds like he's in the band. He refrains from overplaying his part and he fits Motorhead like a glove. Philip Campbell, Motorhead's guitarist, allows Steve Vai to play with no conflicts and it's sweet as honey! But Philip Campbell then goes on to play lead on all the rest of the tunes like a banshee in heat except the end of "Down On Me" on which Steve Vai returns. What's cool about this is the fact that the two tunes on which Steve Vai plays guitar are not necessarily the best on the cd. It's a seemless collection of tunes that will rock the toughest crowd. I can only imagine how great they sound live and I can't wait to catch them on their current tour.

Mikkey Dee returns on drums and this cat pounds the hell out of them. Lemmy attacks the bass like a maniac and his vocals are his best to date. The cd never gets politcal but it does paint a dim look at life in these troubled times. It's really kind of creepy how convincing Lemmy sounds on the tune "Killers". Obviously the dude is fascinated with murder because he sings three tunes about the topic. I'm glad he's got his bass and band to keep him busy!!!!

I know I claimed Monster Magnet have the best cd this year but I have to say that Motorhead are coming in with a tie at least! "Inferno" is a must buy cd for any hard rock fan. From start to finish the album soars past and demands repeated plays. I am sure that Motorhead's old fans will freak out over this cd and also they've created a cd that will hopefully get them some new young fans. Visit their site at http://www.imotorhead.com Buy this CD!

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Motorhead "Inferno"

When David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame release the sensational CD "Probot" this year it rekindled my metal tastebuds. For those of you not familiar with his project I'll explain. He recorded songs on which he played all instruments and he had guest vocalists come in and sing as well as write the lyrics and play whatever instrument they might also play. The cd features vocalists such as King Diamond, Snake from Voivod, and many other great singers/musicians. The whole cd flows like it was a gift from God or at least the Heavy Metal God. On that cd Lemmy from Motorhead does a fantastic job on the tune "Shake Your Blood". On first listen I was excited to hear Lemmy singing on such a awesome tune and the excitement was enough for me to do some Google searching and that is where I found out that the boys were back and had a new CD released on the indie label Sanctuary entitled "Inferno". Like Monster Magnet, being on an indie has enhanced their sound big time!

Always a rough and tough rocking band, Motorhead has never rocked like they do on this CD. What's amazing is how great Lemmy's vocals sound. I have loved the band since their beginning and my fondness for Lemmy dates back to his Hawkwind days. I have to say I have enjoyed Motorhead whenever I've bought a cd and listened. But NEVER have I been entrapped into their sound like I am today.

The opening song, "Terminal Show", features Steve Vai on guitar. I have to admit even though I'm a guitarist I respect Steve Vai but I just can't get into the instrumental cds he's released. Actually, I dig them I just don't find myself playing them very often. But Steve takes hold of "Terminal Show" and sounds like he's in the band. He refrains from overplaying his part and he fits Motorhead like a glove. Philip Campbell, Motorhead's guitarist, allows Steve Vai to play with no conflicts and it's sweet as honey! But Philip Campbell then goes on to play lead on all the rest of the tunes like a banshee in heat except the end of "Down On Me" on which Steve Vai returns. What's cool about this is the fact that the two tunes on which Steve Vai plays guitar are not necessarily the best on the cd. It's a seemless collection of tunes that will rock the toughest crowd. I can only imagine how great they sound live and I can't wait to catch them on their current tour.

Mikkey Dee returns on drums and this cat pounds the hell out of them. Lemmy attacks the bass like a maniac and his vocals are his best to date. The cd never gets politcal but it does paint a dim look at life in these troubled times. It's really kind of creepy how convincing Lemmy sounds on the tune "Killers". Obviously the dude is fascinated with murder because he sings three tunes about the topic. I'm glad he's got his bass and band to keep him busy!!!!

I know I claimed Monster Magnet have the best cd this year but I have to say that Motorhead are coming in with a tie at least! "Inferno" is a must buy cd for any hard rock fan. From start to finish the album soars past and demands repeated plays. I am sure that Motorhead's old fans will freak out over this cd and also they've created a cd that will hopefully get them some new young fans. Visit their site at http://www.imotorhead.com Buy this CD!

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Facts about MC Big Proof

“If I was you, suicide would be a way of life. If you was me , you’d kill you.” (Proof)

Before I start talking about D12’s gifted Mc Proof, I would like to thank and to give credit to the webmaster of the following Derty Harry website for the rare info I found about Deshaun Holton aka Derty Harry aka Proof:

[http://angelfire.com/bxc3/dertyharry/main_bio.html]Deshaun Holton aka Proof was born on October the 2nd 1975 in Detroit. Although they didn’t attend the same High School, Eminem and Proof have been friends since 1988. They used to live in the same street in Detroit. Proof used to go to Osbourne High school while Eminem was attending Lincoln High. Both friends used to skip high school in order to rap together: in fact Eminem skipped Lincoln High and used to come to Proof’s school very often, because both friends wanted to rap together. This is how they met:

“I was skipping school, and he was skipping school also, passing out flyers for his concert he was having in Centerline. That had to be, like, '88 or something.” (Proof)

Some (white) underground Mcs from Detroit like Backstab the Kingpin are convinced of Proof’s racism. But Deshaun’s statements seem to prove the contrary.

CDNow has asked Proof how he felt about Eminem’s skin color at the time they met:

CDNow: Did you wonder what this blond, white kid was up to?

Proof: “You know, I went to Catholic school and had a great, great friend of mine who happened to be Irish; we were best friends since the sixth grade. So when I saw [Eminem] was white, I didn't even jump off like that; when he rapped, he was dope. What made us get dope and become great friends was we both rhymed "first place" and "birthday," and we've been tight ever since [laughs].”

Eminem and Proof have been real friends since the beginning. When Eminem was kicked out of his home, he would sleep at Proof’s house. It is well known that Proof is an amazing freestyler.He won the freestyling competition in the Source magazine in 1999. He his a better freestyler than Marshall, but Marshall’s force is in the way he handles his words in his lyrics. That’s exactly what Proof states about their complementary talent:

“We were both impressed with each other. The advantage I've got over Em is freestyling; I'm the kind of guy who freestyles off the head, right? The advantage he had over me was that he knew how to write intricately; he knew how to put a song together and bring feelings about. That's why I journeyed under him, like, "Yo, show me the ropes, homeboy."

The idea of the D12 group composed of talented MCs and sick aliases with popped into Proof’s mind:

"I was in New York; I had this deal with Tommy Boy that didn't work out, unfortunately. But I just had this idea that we could put together a team of dope MCs, put a lot of Detroit on as far as having MCs with skills. Everybody's solo took so we'll make aliases, like Eminem's Slim Shady and I'm Derty Harry, and call it the Dirty Dozen -- and at this time, to be honest with you, we thought The Dirty Dozen was a Western movie; we didn't know it was an army movie [laughs]. That fits us, army rather than Western, 'cause we see ourselves more as gun-slingers, lyric-slingers. Then the idea was to form a pact whereas this team, whoever gets out first comes back and gets the rest of the group."

Proof has always been confident in Eminem’s loyalty, even if some other members of the group may have been worried:

“Not me; I've been there since day one, almost. I think the rest of the group may not have been there, but Proof has been beside Eminem all this time. I play a leadership role in the group, where I talk to everyone else; Em is like the president, and I'm the general. I talk to the rest of the fellas and put 'em in line and show 'em the direction. It's a family, too, so there'll be a lot of fighting and bickering, and some people might have felt it might not be the way it should be. So, yes, there were times when people felt funny about things. But now everybody thinks back to that, and we were tripping out over nothing.”

Acccording to Proof, Eminem’s success was the best thing that could have happened to D12:

“Right. Some people look at us like, "You're gonna be Eminem's group. You're gonna be in his shadow." They don't realize how positive and great that is to hear; if you're in the shadow of a guy who can sell almost 10 million records in just the states alone, great. That's not a dis to us. But when they hear the album, they hear the individuality of each person, how everybody holds their own.”

It is so true that each D12 emcee has his own talent and ability to rap.

It is less known that Proof’s first stage name was “Maximum”. Proof has always been appreciated in Detroit for his raps and his freestyling qualities. He changed his nickname when people started calling him “Living Proof”, because in many people’s minds, Proof was the “living proof of the living MCs in Detroit".

Proof has collaborated and still collaborates with numerous artists such as Dogmatic. Proof’s first released Cd was called “From Death” and was co-produced with Da Goon Squad.

He has released a CD called “Promatic” with Dogmatic and a six Track solo EP called “The Search For Jerry Garcia”. As well as for Eminem, Detroit has been very influential to Proof who describes his hometown as “the type of place where eye contact can get you killed” and also as “ a city where the sun never shines, full of pot holes, snow and con artists ready to jack everything you got”.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression

Ann Powers said:

"Don't censor the music and artistic expression."

Eminem's music, in particular the songs "Kim" and "Stan," is a continuation of a tradition in music and American art in general: the Gothic murder ballad, which has been with us ever since the blues or Appalachian folk music. "Stan" is just like an Edgar Allan Poe tale, if you think about it. Johnny Cash shot a man just to watch him die. This is something that's had a very solid, longstanding role in culture.

Self-styled moralists are getting up in arms about something that has always been part of the literature of development. If you're a kid, you have to learn about violence, about hate, about death, about fear. That's part of becoming an adult. And if it's not fed to you by Eminem, you're going to get it from your own nightmares. The illusion that kids need to be protected from that is connected to a kind of fetishizing of innocence, which is unrealistic." Ann Powers

Music critic, the New York Times

We live in a society where we are taught to hide our true feelings and emotions. When I look back at the way I have been educated at school and and home, I now know how hypocritical it was. Teachers and parents tried to hide some reality.We were pictured a safe world with nice people. Religion ( particularly the way it was taught) increased that wrong impression.

Eminem's work appears to be progressive for conservative people. But the same conservative people would also have rejected Baudelaire or any other controversial poet or writer centuries before. Conservatism is a form of intolerance in general.

I have felt insecure a great part of my life and I didn't know how to act the right way with people, being too much afraid to speak my mind.

There is something I will probably never get: why are references to suicide so taboo in people's mind? Many people also blamed Goethe for his work "Die Leiden des Jungen Werthers" ("The Sorrows of Young Werther") because a lot of young people committed suicide after reading his book. Not Goethe is to blame, but rather those young people's decision...but do we really need somebody to blame? Anybody has the right to end his life if he feels like his pain is unbearable. My cousin committed suicicide when I was 15. I was shocked, but I don't judge her for that. It was her decision to stop her immense sorrow.

MTV also censors notions that have to do with suicide.

The "Tatu" video "Not Gonna Get Us" was considered as shocking and would be censored not because it pictured two lesbian girls, but because they seem to commit suicide at the end of the video. I was very surprised to discover that the word "die" in the sentence "I'm so sick and tired of bein admired/ that I wish that I would just die or get fired » from Eminem's song « The Way I Am ». How is that possible ? How could MTV censor a word like « die » as if death didn't belong to our every day reality ?

They allow sentences such as « People killin', people dyin'/Children hurt and you hear them cryin'» from sugar sweet songs such as « Where is the love ? » from Black Eyed Peas and they dare censoring « die » in « The Way I Am » video ? How far should we push hypocrisy ?

So many writers and poets such as François Villon in the 15th century in France have been considered as shocking for their use of vulgar language. Many people want to do as if vulgar and popular language didn't exist (I'm sure the same people use it in their privacy as well). Popular and vulgar words are part of our culture too, there is no reason to ignore it.

Why should we censor notions such as suicide, murder and death that are present in the music when our kids already play violent games on their PlayStation and watch "Hannibal" and "Scary Movie" on TV? A little bit of violence helps kids to get rid of their own aggressively and shouldn't be viewed as necessarily dangerous and negative.

The best way to protect our kids is not to hide reality. The closer they are to reality, the better they are armed to face real battles in life.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing   

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression

Ann Powers said:

"Don't censor the music and artistic expression."

Eminem's music, in particular the songs "Kim" and "Stan," is a continuation of a tradition in music and American art in general: the Gothic murder ballad, which has been with us ever since the blues or Appalachian folk music. "Stan" is just like an Edgar Allan Poe tale, if you think about it. Johnny Cash shot a man just to watch him die. This is something that's had a very solid, longstanding role in culture.

Self-styled moralists are getting up in arms about something that has always been part of the literature of development. If you're a kid, you have to learn about violence, about hate, about death, about fear. That's part of becoming an adult. And if it's not fed to you by Eminem, you're going to get it from your own nightmares. The illusion that kids need to be protected from that is connected to a kind of fetishizing of innocence, which is unrealistic." Ann Powers

Music critic, the New York Times

We live in a society where we are taught to hide our true feelings and emotions. When I look back at the way I have been educated at school and and home, I now know how hypocritical it was. Teachers and parents tried to hide some reality.We were pictured a safe world with nice people. Religion ( particularly the way it was taught) increased that wrong impression.

Eminem's work appears to be progressive for conservative people. But the same conservative people would also have rejected Baudelaire or any other controversial poet or writer centuries before. Conservatism is a form of intolerance in general.

I have felt insecure a great part of my life and I didn't know how to act the right way with people, being too much afraid to speak my mind.

There is something I will probably never get: why are references to suicide so taboo in people's mind? Many people also blamed Goethe for his work "Die Leiden des Jungen Werthers" ("The Sorrows of Young Werther") because a lot of young people committed suicide after reading his book. Not Goethe is to blame, but rather those young people's decision...but do we really need somebody to blame? Anybody has the right to end his life if he feels like his pain is unbearable. My cousin committed suicicide when I was 15. I was shocked, but I don't judge her for that. It was her decision to stop her immense sorrow.

MTV also censors notions that have to do with suicide.

The "Tatu" video "Not Gonna Get Us" was considered as shocking and would be censored not because it pictured two lesbian girls, but because they seem to commit suicide at the end of the video. I was very surprised to discover that the word "die" in the sentence "I'm so sick and tired of bein admired/ that I wish that I would just die or get fired » from Eminem's song « The Way I Am ». How is that possible ? How could MTV censor a word like « die » as if death didn't belong to our every day reality ?

They allow sentences such as « People killin', people dyin'/Children hurt and you hear them cryin'» from sugar sweet songs such as « Where is the love ? » from Black Eyed Peas and they dare censoring « die » in « The Way I Am » video ? How far should we push hypocrisy ?

So many writers and poets such as François Villon in the 15th century in France have been considered as shocking for their use of vulgar language. Many people want to do as if vulgar and popular language didn't exist (I'm sure the same people use it in their privacy as well). Popular and vulgar words are part of our culture too, there is no reason to ignore it.

Why should we censor notions such as suicide, murder and death that are present in the music when our kids already play violent games on their PlayStation and watch "Hannibal" and "Scary Movie" on TV? A little bit of violence helps kids to get rid of their own aggressively and shouldn't be viewed as necessarily dangerous and negative.

The best way to protect our kids is not to hide reality. The closer they are to reality, the better they are armed to face real battles in life.

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression   Shut Up And Sing